Electric starter for automobiles.



N. R. SIMPSON.

ELECTRIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-22, I9i6.

Eaten'ted Jan. 21,1919.

2 wins-SHEET I.

INVENTOR fi brman R. Sim 95m WnNEssEs rew ATToRN EY a /Q W N. R.SHWPSGF,

ELECTRH) STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLXCATEON HLED DEC. 22, 1938 .7 Ada.

[NVEHTCZR 1 K r jaw mam, gra asan UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN R. SIMPSON, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE- SIXTEENTI-I TO NEWTON A. JONES, TWO-SIXTE-ENTHS TO JOHNC. OVERMAN, AND FIVE-SIXTEENTHS TO MARION M. HARRIS, ALL OF ELIZABETHCITY, NORTH CARO- LINA, AND FOUR-SIXTEENTHS TO CARROLL B. SPENCER, OFSWANQUARTER, NORTH CAROLINA.

ELECTRIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed December 22, 1916. semi No. 138,448.

This invention relates to internal combus tion engines, and moreespecially to starting devices; and the object of the same is to providethe fly wheel of an engine of this kind with an electric motor by meansof which the fly wheel can be rotated and the engine started whendesired, by closing a circuit through a battery carried somewhere on thevehicle. After the engine is running, the motor generates electricitywhich recharges the battery in a manner which will be clear.

Details of construction are set forth in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a generalside elevation of the engine of a. motor vehicle and the fly wheelthereof containing the starter.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the fly wheel, partly in section, and

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged detail taken on the line 33 of Fig.2, while Fig. 4 is a radial section taken on about the line 4.4 of Fig.2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing how the ends of the ring-parts maybe brought together and fastened.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the wiring.

. The engine is broadly designated by the letter E in Fig. 1 and theframe by the letter F, the fly wheel W being here mounted on the mainshaft M in the rear of the engine as usual. Referring now to Fig. 1, therim of the fly wheel W is rabbeted around its front corner as at 1, andwithin the rabbet is fixed a ring 2 provided with a dovetailed channel 3in which is seated a ring 4 of insulation material such ashard rubber.In this ring at intervals are .placed commutator segments 5 whichproject beyond the front face of the wheel-rim. In theillustrationherewith there are sixteen of these segments as best seen in Fig.2, andI prefer to use about that number when there are four pole pieces in thefield as hereinafter described. However, I do not wish to be limited inthis particular. Around the periphery of the wheel is a two-part ring 6,the ends of the two parts being shown in Fig. 5 as having outturned ears7 connected by a bolt or rivet 8, and the entire ring being detachablymounted on the rim of the wheel by tightening up on said bolts 8,although when they are loosened of course the ring can be removed.Carried by said ring at intervals corresponding to the spacing of thesegments 5 are pole pieces 10, each preferably removably secured to thering by means such as the screws 11 in Fig. 4; and in the same view thenumeral 12 designates the winding of the coil. while 13 is the terminalwire leading from such coil to the segment 5. So much of the mechanismas has been described is carried by and rotated with the fly wheel.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the numeral 20 designates a ring considerablylarger than the fly wheel and entirely surrounding and spaced from thesame, and this ring has lugs 21 at opposite points by means of which itmay be supported from the frame F. This ring carries four field magnets,one of which is shown in section in this view. The numeral 22 designatesa. fixed pole or block. held to the ring by suitable means such as ascrew 23. and 24 is the coil surrounding this block. Disposed betweenthese pole pieces are the brushes herein shown as consisting of carbonblocks 25 resting against the commutator segments 5 as the latterrevolve, the blocks being borne inward by suitable means as springcontacts 26 connected with binding posts 27 as seen in Fig. 3. Bypreference each block moves in a guide 28 at the inner end of a bracket29 which is mounted on the rings 20, and when the block 25 becomes wornit may be taken out of the guide and replaced by another. It will not benecessary for the purposes of this specification to amplify the wiringfurther than as illustrated in diagram in Fig. 6 wherein B designates abattery on the body of the car, and S a circuit closer or switch of theusual type.

With this improved electric motor constructed in substantially themanner described and mounted on the fly wheel of an internal combustionengine, when it is desired to start the same, the operator has but toclose the switch S and complete the circuit from the battery B to themotor so that the latter starts at once and quickly, silently,

andpowerfully turns the-fly wheel W and be thrownonto a shunt winding sothat after the engine is running the rotation of the fly wheel and motorwill recharge the battery B; but as this forms no part of the resentinvention I have not illustrated the details thereof. Norhave I shownthe batteryexcept in diagram at B in Fig. 6, but it is clear that thisbattery must be 'of'sufiicient size and power to generateenough energyin the motor to turn over the main shaft M against the resistance set upby the compression in the cylinders of the engine. However, with mymotor built into a fly wheel of 'the'usual size on automobiles, it'willordinarily have suflicient pulling power to start an engine where thecompression is not excessive. While I propose'to build this starter aspart of the equipment ofautomobiles when made in the factory, it isquite possible to apply it to an automobile already on the ni'ar'ket andin use. In that case, howevenjit would doubtless be preferable to omitthe rabbet 1 and attach the ring 2 directly to thefoifiward side of therim W 01 the wheel by some other means such as will readily suggestthemselves. The ring 6 of course being'made in twoparts can be slippedover the flat periphery of the rim W "and drawn tightly thereon bysetting up the bolts 8. Insom'e makes of automobiles there is a hood orQopies of thispatent may be obtained for sufliciently to permitthe-entry of the ring 20 and the parts carried thereby. Otherwise thereis no change to the structure of the automobile or the engine, and thisstarter may be applied and used without the introduction of any. gearingor belting, chains or clutches, levers or controls, except the or dinarybattery B and switch S.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a motor for use as an engine starter,

' a rotor comprising a revolving element and a ring mountedthereon,'said ringbein'g secured upon the periphery of said revolvingelement and comprising two parts adapted to be clamped thereon, theextremity of'each part being formed with o'utturnedfears, the ears atthe abutting ends of the parts being arranged adjacent each other, andbolts en gaging the contacting ears'for drawing the ring into holdingcontact with the periphery or" the revolving element.

2. In a motor for use as an engine starter, a revolving elementrabbetedin its front face, a ring set into said rabbet and formed with adovetailed channehinsulation within said channel, commutator segmentsheld within-the channel and against the ring by the insulation, saidring having a laterally extending portion comprising two parts to engagethe periphery of the revolving element, and means for clamping saidparts to secure. them on the element. v

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

NORMAN R. SIMPSON. Witnesses;

N. L. ConnAMER, BnNNn'rr S. Jones.

five pent; men, by eddreuing the "Commissioner o! Eatentu, Washington,1L0. V

